Connecting Stripe for client payments
Stripe Connect lets you accept card payments directly from clients, with funds deposited to your bank account (minus Stripe's fee) without Surfacely ever touching your money. It's a one-time setup that pays off on every invoice afterwards.
Setup steps
- Open Settings → Payments.
- Tap Connect Stripe. You'll be redirected to Stripe's onboarding.
- Fill in your business details, bank account, and ID verification. This is Stripe's flow — same as any Stripe integration.
- Return to Surfacely. Your connection status flips to Connected.
That's it. Every new invoice automatically gets a Pay button in the client portal.
Fees
Stripe charges a percentage + small fixed fee per transaction, in line with their public pricing for your locale. You can choose to absorb the fee or pass a surcharge to the client at the quote send step — the surcharge percentage is your call.
Payouts
Stripe automatically pays out to your connected bank account on a schedule (usually weekly, can be adjusted in your Stripe dashboard). Your first payout takes a bit longer while Stripe verifies your account.
What clients see
On the invoice portal page, a prominent Pay button. Tapping it opens Stripe's hosted checkout — card, Apple Pay, Google Pay, or wallet options. When they pay, Surfacely records the payment automatically. No manual reconciliation.
Why it matters: invoices with a one-tap pay button get paid dramatically faster than invoices that require a bank transfer. For most painters, reducing days-to-payment is worth more than the Stripe fee. Do the math on a single week's outstanding balance — Stripe usually wins.
Tip: if you'd rather not absorb the fee, set a small surcharge (typical is 1.7–2%). Clients who object to the surcharge can still pay by bank transfer — you keep both options.